Avengers, disassembled

Marvel is doing a pretty brisk trade at present, what with its comic book properties being adapted left, right, and centre for the big screen.

Riding on the wave of fanboy interest surrounding this year's Avengers movie, Avengers Initiative is a mobile action game that stars everyone's favourite green ball of rage, The Incredible Hulk.

While it packs an epic visual punch, what's underneath the skin-tight lycra is actually quite disappointing.

The one-on-one battles and swipe-and-tap action should instantly remind you of Infinity Blade, because Avengers Initiative is pretty much a direct copy.

Hulk moves from checkpoint to checkpoint engaging in pugilistic contests with an array of different baddies, none of which have the foresight to carry a blunderbuss into battle with them.

Bare knuckle

Instead, the two combatants square up like a pair of gentlemen and proceed to punch the living daylights out of one another.

In true Infinity Blade style, swipes are used for attacks while blocks and side-steps can be called into play to unbalance your foe and create openings. If you're quick enough you can also deflect incoming blows and, once your enemy is on the ropes, unleash a finishing move for additional kudos.

Success in battle rewards you with experience points and currency, the latter of which can be spent on augmentations. Hulk also gains Rage powers during his quest, and you can deploy these when his rage meter tops out, instantly stunning the opposition.

It's all very derivative, but it fails to add any value to the Infinity Blade concept. In fact, it takes what was previously a solid structure and makes it repetitive and dull.

The Incredible Sulk

Contests quickly degenerate into the same patterns, with tougher enemies taking longer to defeat purely because they have more health, rather than because they possess improved intelligence.

While the stunning graphics and high production values help maintain your interest for a short while, they can't make up for the monotony of the core gameplay.

Factor in some rather cheeky in-app purchases that seem grossly unfair when you consider the high price of the game itself and you've got the perfect recipe for disappointment.Avengers Initiative promises much, thanks largely to the status of the licence and the gorgeous visuals, but it ultimately fails to deliver that knockout punch we were all expecting.